I Will Not
by Mimi621
Summary: Ina is trying school out for the first time. It's not going as well as everyone hoped. Part of my Sense of Belonging universe.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone. I didn't mean to wait so long before publishing the next fic. This one is much longer. I think it's maybe 6 or 7 chapters. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Levi doesn't get mail often, and when he does, he never reads it in it's entirety. He usually just reads the first line and calls it a day. The same thing will probably happen here.

When he holds the letter up, Levi can see that the handwriting is obviously that of a child's. It's not Ina's, he can tell that much. How a kid got his information, Levi isn't sure. But he has some time to spare, so he'll humor this brat.

 _Dear Captain Levi, sir,_

He can't help the short chuckle. The kid seems to be very unsure of himself.

 _My name is johnathan. I go to school with Ina._

At the mention of his daughter's name, Levi finds himself leaning forward- trying to pay more attention to the contents of the nearly two page letter.

 _She's going to kill me when she finds out I did this. But I don't think I have a choice. Captain Levi, someone is hurting Ina._

That same sinking feeling in his chest. Like his heart is collapsing on itself. Levi can't breathe, but tries to continue reading.

 _She didn't want to say anything to you. The last time I tried to convince her to talk to you, she twisted my arm until I promised to keep my mouth shut. But I can't do it. I can't watch her fall apart like this._

"Fucking get on it with it!" Levi finds himself yelling at an inanimate piece of paper and continues to read.

 _I won't lie and say the first few fights she got into were equally parts her fault and our classmates. But this is different. Ina hasn't done anything wrong. And she doesn't deserve to be hurt this way._

 _A group of kids from our class have doing things to Ina. I don't know everything, but a part of me doesn't want to. Still, I know that every day she walks into class she looks worse. She won't eat, she's not sleeping, and I'm pretty sure she's falling behind in the school work._

 _Ina says she doesn't want to force you to come back here and get her out of trouble again. She thinks that by telling you, that she's bothering you. I don't really understand it. I guess that she probably felt bad when you had to come talk to the headmaster after her third fight. At least, that's what she told me. Ina said she's tired of calling in adults to solve all of her problems. I think she's a little embarrassed. Well, a lot embarrassed. She told me she'd never been to school before, and I was kind of able to tell. There were a lot of rules and things that she… that she missed or didn't know about? I guess I'm getting off topic._

 _I've tried helping her. I've tried everything I can think of. The last time I jumped in front of one of those kids, the school suspended me for fighting. I was gone for 2 days and when I came back she had a black eye. I'll never forgive myself for that. It was stupid of me to think I could change something. I got in their way, and she paid for it. I'm sorry, Sir. When you get here, I think that I should get at least some kind of punishment. I should have known better. My dad used to hurt my mom. Things got really bad at our house. My mom told me when trying to help someone in that situation, you had to be careful. Because if you're an idiot like me, the bad person will just hurt whoever you're trying to help. I knew better, but I let my feelings for Ina lead me to a stupid decision. I'm so sorry._

 _It's because of this that I haven't gone to the teachers. I know how that would go. Those boys would know I told. And as soon as the teachers look away, they'd hurt Ina again. I'm not letting her get hurt because of another stupid choice I make. Besides, they already know. They can see what I can. They know Ina is being hurt but aren't doing anything about it. Our teachers are useless._

 _As more time passes… I keep seeing my mom in Ina and that's scaring me. I think that instead fighting back, she's letting them do this to her She tried fighting. She tried running. She's confused and more than a little afraid. It hurts to see her this way. I can't watch this anymore._

 _Ina really needs your help. I don't want to lose my best friend, but I think she should leave here and never come back. There's plenty of great schools around here. My mom knows about what's happening and offered to help. We'll help you find a new school for Ina. We'll help in any way that we can._

 _I think those boys need to be taught a lesson. I'm just one kid. I tried to help her but I got her hurt. She's going to be really upset when she finds out I told you all of this. But I can handle that. If she never wants to talk to me again, that's fine. I just want her to be safe._

 _Thank you for reading my letter, Captain. I'm sorry that this upset you._

 _I'm so sorry._

 _Sincerely, Jonathan_

Levi doesn't realize what he's doing until it's already happened. He falls into some sort of anger induced trance and doesn't come to until he's sitting on the floor in the center of his office. He takes in his surroundings and observes all the overturned and destroyed furniture. What…. happened? There's a painful sting in both his hands. Where did the blood on his knuckles…. Levi looks around a second time. There are several dents in his concrete walls and 2 holes in his door. Did he do that? What is going on?

Did he lose time?

There's a faint knock on his door. Levi sharply turns his head toward the noise.

"Is it safe to come in yet?"

Levi tries to get up from the floor without using his hands. The fingers on his left are definitely broken, and his right wrist feels like it's sprained.

What happened?

"Hange?"

"Levi… what's going on?" Hange opens the door and carefully steps around the disastrous wreck of his office.

"I… think I lost a few minutes." He groans as Hange helps him up.

"Can you remember what happened before you blacked out?"

Right, think back. What was he doing? What… he was reading something wasn't he? He hadn't started working on his paperwork yet. So was he really reading? Or doing something else?

"I'm not sure."

"Levi, your hands." Hange grimaces at the gory sight of both of his hands. His fingers are bent out of shape and his right hand is completely limp at the wrist.

She heard the sound of wood splintering and came to investigate, but wasn't expecting this. She's never seen Levi exhibit this level of rage before. Even when he was at his lowest, he always seemed to have a degree of control. No matter what was going on. This was pure unadulterated fury. It almost frightens Hange in a way. His desk chair is in pieces. The 600 pound mahogany desk is overturned with a large crack running down the middle. Something's happened. Something triggered him. Hange finds herself anxious to discover what sent Levi over the edge.

"We need to get you cleaned up, Levi." When she takes his arm he flinches.

"Hange. Why can't I remember?"

"We'll figure this out together, okay?"

Levi just nods and let's Hange lead him out of his ransacked office. Stepping over shredded leather bound books and jagged shards of what must have been a mug.

"Wait." Levi turns around, unsure what he's looking for.

"Wait, I'm missing something."

"Levi we need to set the bones in your hands." Hange says gently.

"No. It was… it was a letter! I was reading a letter. Fuck, why can't I remember!" Levi hisses in pain when he brings his broken hand to his sweaty forehead.

"Levi, I'll send someone in here to look for the letter. Just come with me, we'll figure it out."

"It's Ina! Somethings wrong! I know it!"

He fights to get back inside his office.

"Something's wrong with Ina!"

Hange stops him with firm hands on both of his shoulders. "Levi! Relax for a second. Breathe. Just in and out."

He tries to follow her instructions but finds that he can only breathe in. His mind is moving a mile a minute. "Hange, Something's wrong! She's hurt!"

"Levi, I need you to trust me. Trust me. We're going to figure this out but we need to take this one step at a time."

"Someone's hurting her." Levi can't understand these lapses in his memory. But what he can remember is scaring the shit out of him.

Hange is finally able to get Levi to the infirmary. She sets the bones in his left hand and immobilizes the sprain in his right wrist. She then sends 4 scouts into his office to search for the letter he rambled on about.

It takes an additional 2 scouts to lift the mahogany desk to search underneath it. They find the letter in question. And then understand with perfect clarity why the captain went berserk. They deliver the letter to Hange who is still consoling Levi in the infirmary.

"I told you! I told you she's hurt. We have to go! Right now!"

"We will, Levi. Just let me gather the 104th."

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And there you have the first chapter. Jonathan is actually a very special character for me. He's borrowed from an original story of mine which I'll probably never ever publish. But he's one of my favorite original characters. You'll see more of him and Ina in the upcoming chapters. Until next time, thanks so much for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Here we are with chapter 2! I had a lot going on in these past few days so I wasn't able to update sooner. But it seems my sequel tics aren't really being read. I suppose my publishing this is just for vanity. Idk. Maybe just to say that I did it.

Well, to the 12 people who bothered with my hot garbage writing, enjoy Chapter 2.

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"Good morning." Jonathan smiles at Ina as she sets her bag down next to her desk and takes her seat.

Ina doesn't say anything to him. Just keeps her head down.

"How are you today, Ina?"

"I think... I want a little quiet before class starts." Ina mumbles, barely turning to look at him.

"Was it them?"

"That's none of your goddamn business." Ina replies sharply.

"I'm sorry, Ina. I'm… I was just worried."

"It's fine Jonathan. Believe me I've been through way worse. This is nothing, so please just stay out of it."

"Ina…"

"Cut it out." She looks away from him. Her voice thick with tears she's trying to hold back. Jonathan doesn't want to upset her.

"Im Sorry Ina. I'll back off. But if you need anything, you can talk to me whenever. I won't tell anyone, I'll just listen."

Ina finally faces her friend. She looks so tired. Her cheeks dark and somewhat sunken. Her eyes are _so_ sad. Appearing to water against her will at Jonathan's kindness.

"Thank you, Jonathan."

He just smiles again, hoping that she does try to come to him for help when she needs it.

Several more students enter in a large group. Jonathan notices Ina shrink slightly in her seat. Trying to appear smaller than she already is. They don't do or say anything, but their presence changes the atmosphere. Jonathan can feel the fear radiating off of Ina. He can see how she tries to hide her true feelings of disdain and apprehension by the way she presses her lips into a thin line. She grows paler by the second. Seeing her this way makes his heart clench. This isn't the same Ina he met at the beginning of the school year. This girl is a frightened, timid mess. It just makes Jonathan so sad.

Ina is unable to pay attention to a single word during class. She's going to have to ask Jonathan to borrow his notes again. She can't fail another exam. One more and they'll contact Papa. That was the warning she got from Mrs. Potter last week.

There's a 20 minute break between 2nd and 3rd period. Ina finds herself wiggling in her seat. She really has to pee. But she doesn't want to get up. Some of her classmates are lounging in the hallway. She'd have to walk past _them_ to get to the bathroom. Ina doesn't know if she has it in her to deal with them this early in the morning.

Jonathan notices Ina squirming. Clenching her fists uncomfortably while she stares at the classroom door.

"Wanna take a walk? Maybe stretch out before 3rd period starts?" Jonathan asks her.

"Um… sure." Ina shrugs. She has an idea of what Jonathan is trying to do. But if he gets in trouble again he'll be expelled. She won't let someone else suffer consequences because of her.

When they exit the classroom Jonathan takes Ina's hand and walks her in the direction opposite the bathrooms. Away from the group of classmates she was hoping to avoid.

"Wait… Jonathan… we need to go back-"

"Just trust me."

He keeps that hold on her hand and smiles kindly at her. Ina brings her free hand to her cheek when the honey glow hits her like a slap to the face.

They turn the corner and keep walking. There are other students from different classes lounging about in the halls during break, but Ina doesn't know them and sighs in relief. She pays them no mind.

They turn another corner and Ina is completely unsure where they are. Even after 6 months here she still hasn't explored the entire school. Jonathan comes to a stop in an area completely unfamiliar to Ina. She finds herself panicking and pulls her hand out of his. Her breath hitching audibly. Why did he bring her here? What does he want? What is he going to do?

"Ina?"

"Please…" she keeps her head down, unwilling to look him in the eye.

"I'll do anything just… just don't." Ina whispers.

"Ina, it's just me." Jonathan says quietly. "I'm sorry..."

"We should go back…"

Ina unconsciously backs away from who she thinks might be another attacker. She hits the lockers behind her, her heart beating a mile a minute. So loud she can hear it.

"Please, let's just go back. I want to go back." She's crying now. Jonathan is angry with himself for upsetting her. Dummy. You should have explained where you were going.

"Don't you have to use the bathroom?"

"Ple- what?" Ina looks up at him. He hasn't approached her since she backed away. His stance is neutral, not tense or forward leaning- not ready to attack. His green eyes hold a world of hurt. She isn't sure why that is. When he gets a closer look at her face he holds both hands up.

"Ina, I promise I'm not going to hurt you." Jonathan feels terrible. He should have known better.

"I just thought you'd like to use the bathroom in peace. I know this area is less crowded in the mornings. I'm sorry, Ina. I shouldn't have-"

"No!" Ina stops him. She wipes her tears and smiles. "No, don't be sorry. I was the one jumping to conclusions. I was stupid."

"Hey, don't say that. I kinda dragged you here and didn't say anything. I'd probably think something was fishy if I were in your shoes." He finally lowers his hands.

"I… thank you, Jonathan." She closes the distance between them and hugs him. "Thank you."

He's slow to wrap his arms around her. Ina is a full head shorter than he is, probably because she's two years younger than the rest of the class. But the height difference doesn't make the hug awkward. He rests his head on top of hers for just a moment. This feels nice. Feels… right. Ina's hugged him before, but something about this moment is different.

He let's go before she does. Jonathan doesn't know what Ina is comfortable with and doesn't want to push her boundaries. So he also takes half a step back.

"We still have plenty of time before third period." He points to the girls bathroom behind her.

"Take your time, I'll wait for you and we can walk back together."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it." Ina smiles again. Her gratitude speaks volumes to him. Everything from her tone, to her smile and relaxed posture shows Jonathan just how much this means to Ina. He's still smiling when she turns and pushes open the door to the bathroom.

Ina feels so much better with an empty bladder. What a _relief_! She was going to try to hold it until the end of the school day. Because when the halls get crowded she can evade _them_ and get away easily. She would have tried to go during lunch. But they always follow her during that time. No peace.

Ina is glad she has a friend like Jonathan. Honestly, she doesn't deserve someone so kind. He already got suspended once because of her. She really doesn't want that to happen again.

She's the one to take Jonathan's hand when they start the walk back to their classroom. He doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he welcomes it. Squeezing her hand reassuringly as they make the trek back.

"Well, well, well… would you look at this?"

Three of them. Jonathan isn't sure who spoke. But doesn't care. He knows who they are. What they're doing to his best friend.

"Aw, did we interrupt something?"

Ina pulls her hand out of Jonathan's for a second time. The look of sheer terror that crosses her features is enough to send chills down his spine. Jonathan doesn't think twice. He steps in front of Ina, blocking her from view. She cowers behind him, grabbing onto his uniform jacket with trembling hands.

"We're just trying to get back to class." Jonathan says, the confidence in his tone helps Ina to relax some. She could never pull that off. Not anymore.

"Why not take your time with her? Have her take care of you?"

Ina whimpers. Jonathan feels his heart racing and a cold sweat breaking out underneath his shirt. His mother used to sound like that too whenever his dad made a nasty comment. There are so many things that could cause Ina to react like that. So many terrible things.

"Shut your mouth."

"I really want you to make me." The ring-leader steps forward.

"Back off." Jonathan asserts and takes a slight step backward.

He shifts his position slightly to take a more defensive stance. His knees bent and his arms stretched behind him to create a protective cage around Ina. He is ready to strike if need be.

"You've caused her enough trouble. Go. Away."

"Who do you think you are, you little piece of shit?!" The ring-leader takes another step forward. Jonathan takes another step back.

"Just stay away from her." Jonathan wants to hit this boy. Wants to make him hurt and force him to feel all the pain he caused Ina and more.

"You really think you're something don't you. Defending a 2 dollar whore like your life depends on it."

"Cut it out. Don't talk about her that way!"

Jonathan finds himself raising his voice. These comments and awful names… jonathan has heard them before. No one should be caught with those ugly words in their mouths.

"Or you'll what?" The ring-leader threatens.

"I laid you out once don't make me do it again!" Jonathan threatens right back.

"You got lucky, you punk!"

Jonathan struck a nerve. He can tell and finds himself immensely proud that he can unravel this boy in front of him with just words.

A bell rings, signifying the beginning of third period. Ina squeaks at the sudden sound.

"This isn't over!" The ring-leader walks away and his two cronies follow him.

Jonathan remains where he is. Doesn't break his defensive stance until those boys are out of sight. When it's all clear, he turns around to try consoling his friend. She latches on to him once he's facing her, sobbing erratically. He just hugs her back, quietly shushing her in an attempt to calm her down.

"What were you thinking?!" Ina cries. "They could have hurt you!"

"I don't care. You're my friend and I wasn't going to let them do anything to you." Jonathan sounds just as confident and assured as he did when he was talking to those boys. Proof to Ina that it wasn't a front or an attempt to impress her. He means every word, and she knows that.

"I hate seeing you this way, Ina. It's not fair. You deserve so much better."

"No I don't! Please Jonathan, don't get involved again. I don't want you to get in any more trouble because of me."

"You can be mad at me all you want. That's fine with me. But if I'm around and they start picking on you, I'm going to do something. I'm not going to sit and watch while they terrorize you."

"You're so stupid!" Ina hits him square in his stupid chest, but puts no force into the punch.

"You got that right. Protecting my best friend makes me really stupid."

He's a stubborn ass. He reminds Ina of Eren. Never willing to back down no matter what's going on. Always defending even at the risk of his own safety. Ina looks up at him, her cheeks wet with tears and her brown eyes wide with panic she's yet to subdue.

"Hey, it's alright, Ina. They're gone. It's just us now."

He even sounds like big brother sometimes. Strong and comforting. Always knowing what to say in the moment.

"Thank you." Ina can't seem to stop crying despite how much better she feels. "You're such a good person."

Ina doesn't know why she's still surprised by good people and their kind actions. But at this point in time, she's still spent more of her life being hurt by people than she has being happy and feeling safe.

"So are you. Don't let anyone tell you different. You're sweet and kind and you deserve good friends." He places gentle hands on her cheeks.

"Don't you believe me?" He asks.

"I…." Ina tries to look away.

"Hey, I'm not a liar. And I know you've seen a lot in your life. Probably stuff I couldn't even imagine. But I know a good person when I see one. You are _amazing_. You're not just a good person, you're a great person. And glad I met you this year." His words are as genuine as his smile.

Ina still isn't used to hearing praise. She's grown accustomed to backhanded or sarcastic compliments. She'd been convinced that the only good people in the world was her family. She thought they were the only people that would ever truly love her.

Maybe she was wrong.

Ina turns around suddenly, breaking the hold he had of her. In truth she doesn't want him to see the honey glow in her cheeks. She covers them up with her hands.

"Ina?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine. It's just…. you're so... so… nice to me. That's... it's still a new feeling." She mumbles. "I'm not really... used to it."

"Well then everyone in the world is an idiot." Jonathan comments.

He comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her shoulders. She holds on to him. Appreciating his warmth. He rests his head on her little shoulder when it's clear she's okay with it.

"It's my job to make up for other people's stupid mistakes then." Jonathan is so close she can feel the vibration of his voice on her shoulder.

"You're so wonderful. And smart. And pretty."

"Ah, stop it Jonathan! Talk about something else!"

"No way." She can feel him smiling.

"You're stronger than I could ever be. And so brave- even though you're younger than all of us. I want to be more like you, Ina."

"We're late now." Ina whispers.

"I don't care. I have a lot of compliments to catch up on." Jonathan hugs her tighter. Ina welcomes it. Feeling safe for the first time in months.

" _Hey!_ " That sounds like… no way. It's impossible.


	3. Chapter 3

Here we are with chapter 3. We're at the halfway point right about now. Enjoy, see you next time. Also I completely made up the thing about Eren's eyes but not the shoulder reduction hehe #nursing

* * *

Jonathan's arms are gone and Ina is almost yanked backwards. Before she can even turn around, she hears her friend cry out in pain. She turns to see Jonathan on the ground and… is that Eren? What? He's got his knee between Jonathan's shoulder blades and is twisting her classmates arm behind his back. Eren's eyes keep flashing from green to bright luminous gold. Oh god. Not here!

"What do you think you're doing you little bastard?"

Big brother growls, the gold in his eyes lingering a little longer. The last time Ina heard him this angry, she'd been beat up by the monsters. He can't think- no. Wait. This is going to end so badly if she doesn't calm him down!

"Big brother! Stop!" Ina yells.

"These kids are done hurting you Ina." Eren twists Jonathan's arm more- so much more she hears a pop, inciting a shrill cry Jonathan.

Several teachers and students open their doors to see what the commotion is but all close them when they see the scout insignia on Eren's jacket. Very few people in the capital have actually met a scout, but all of them carry a ridiculous amount of fear of said military branch. Eren knew that even if he was in plainclothes the jacket would be handy. It forces people to mind their own fucking business.

"Eren, no! He's not one of them!"

Ina puts all of her strength into forcing Eren off of Jonathan.

Eren barely hears her. He's been seeing red since he found out what'd been happening. All he saw was someone hurting her and before he knew it he was acting.

"Get off him, Eren! He's my friend!" Ina gives one final pull and manages to topple Eren over. She punches him in the jaw with full force. Knowing from experience that a blow to the face can snap him out of his stupid fit.

"Big brother, you moron! Look what you did!"

Ina yells and checks on Jonathan. He's still lying on the ground where he was tackled, his cheek resting in a puddle of his tears. Jonathan seriously thought his arm was going to get ripped off just now. He's never felt pain that intense. He flinches when he feels someone touching him, but is soothed by Ina's voice.

"Are you alright?" Ina runs gentle fingers up his left arm and to his shoulder. It's definitely dislocated.

Jonathan doesn't respond to her, just continues to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Jonathan. My family is crazy. Big brother, say sorry!" Ina berates Eren for the apology that Jonathan is owed.

"Ina, who is this?" Eren finally sits up and wipes blood from the corner of his lip. She didn't hold back. Good girl.

"Apologize first! Then _I_ ask the questions!" Ina glares at him. His eyes are green again. Good. They dodged _that_ shitfest.

"Look kid, I thought you were hurting my baby sister." Eren starts.

"That's not an apology!" Ina yells.

"It's all he's going to get!" Eren puffs and sits back against the lockers. His head is still swimming and his jaw feels loose in its socket. Damn she laid him out. Eren feels things going dark, but fights it with all his being. Being knocked out by Captain Levi is fine, but he'll be damned if he lets Ina put his lights out.

Ina just rolls her eyes. Good grief. She just focuses on Jonathan again, who's stopped crying but still whimpers when the pain rushes to his head over and over.

"Your shoulder is dislocated. I'll help you." Ina whispers to him, running a calming hand through his brown hair.

"I'm sorry, it might hurt a little bit but it'll help make you better. I need you to turn over though."

She scoops her arms underneath Jonathan's torso to help turn him on his back. Wow, she really is super strong. He barely had to help her. Jonathan doesn't consider himself fat, but he's not all that skinny either. Ina just moved him like he was a stack of papers.

Being on his back doesn't help with the pain. in fact it feels worse. Everything from breathing to shifting hurts like crazy. He cries out but bites the hand on his uninjured arm to shut himself up. Jonathan doesn't like sounding like such a crybaby in front of Ina.

"Hey, it's alright. It's just me here." She moves his hand from his mouth. "It'll hurts less if you don't hold it in. It's okay, Jonathan. I've been this way too, crying can help."

Jonathan meets her eyes. She's a little blurry because despite his best efforts, he's still crying. This really hurts. She smiles kindly at him.

"Hold my hand. Squeeze it all you want." Ina gingerly takes the hand of his injured arm.

"I'm sorry about my brother. He's so stupid." Ina says, her smile faltering.

"Watch your goddamn mouth, brat!" Eren yells, his words slurring a bit. Jonathan finds himself flinching and even whimpering at the sound of Eren's voice.

"Eren shut the hell up, you're scaring my friend." Ina throws another glare in her brother's direction.

"Ignore him. He's not going to hurt you again. I'll protect you." She comforts him when she notices panic in his expression.

"Here we go, Jonathan. Just hold on to my hand. I've done this a million times. You can trust me." Ina says quietly. Half of those million times was on herself, but Jonathan doesn't need to know that. She's helped a lot of people with popped shoulders. She's even been able to perfect her rugged technique since meeting the scouts.

Ina removes her left shoe and places the heel of her foot in the crook of Jonathan's armpit. She kisses his hand softly before pulling, ever so gently on his arm, bringing it away from his side just slightly. Leaning back in the process.

Her poor friend exclaims a drawn out cry.

"Almost there." Ina reassures him. "Almost there. You'll be better when it's over."

She leans back further, taking his arm with her, making sure to keep her foot secured in his armpit.

"Ahh!" Jonathan yells as his joint snaps back into place. He writhes in pain but Ina does her best to keep him still.

"Shhh... You did good, Jonathan. I'm so proud of you!" Ina rejoins him so he can see her face.

"Just breathe with me okay? It's okay, it's over now you did amazing."

Her kind words make Jonathan feel so much better. The more he breathes with her, the less he thinks about his shoulder. The burning, inhuman pain is gone. It still aches horribly, but it's nowhere near as bad as when her brother had first twisted it.

"Better?" Ina asks him. "Try sitting up."

Jonathan completely forgot he'd been lying in the middle of the school hallway. For a moment it was just Ina and him. Nothing and no one else mattered. He nods and accepts Ina's help when she offers.

"Thanks, Ina." Jonathan hisses in pain as his change in position aggravates his tender shoulder.

"Of course, Jonathan." Ina smiles at him and takes his hand once again.

"You should probably go to the infirmary. They might have to put it in a sling for a couple days." Ina advises.

"How do you know so much about all this stuff?"

Ina doesn't answer right away. Instead looks down for a moment to search for the right words.

"Be-because it used to happen a lot… before I met Papa and… the others. It would-"

Jonathan notices her struggling.

"Never mind, you don't have to tell me. I just think it's cool how smart you are. You knew exactly what to do." He smiles at her. Then notices her brother slump to the side a bit.

"Um… I think your brother passed out." Jonathan comments.

Ina just looks back at Eren and rolls her eyes. "Serves him right for attacking my best friend! He'll be fine, he bounces back fast. Let's get you to the infirmary."

"What about him? Should we… do you want to leave him here?"

She scoffs. "Fine I guess we'll bring him. But let me help you up first."

Ina doesn't give him room to argue. She walks to his other side and puts his arm around her shoulders. Like before, she does most of the work herself and drags Jonathan along. Hoisting him to his feet before he even knows what's happening.

"Where do you put all that muscle?!" He exclaims. She is light as a feather and like the width two of his fingers. _How_ is she this strong?

"Shut up…" Ina tries to stifle her smile. "Now this idiot."

She places her hands on her hips for a second. The last time she carried big brother, she threw her back out a little bit. He's skinny, but like all the others on base he has layers of muscles she didn't account for. If she keeps that in mind this time, there should be no problem. She can't do anything about the height problem. Looks like he's going to be dragging a little bit. But he'll live. He should consider himself lucky he's not wearing those crisp white uniform pants. Staining that would be way worse. Papa would never let him go back to base with a dirty uniform.

Ina follows a similar strategy to hoist big brother up and onto her shoulder. She lifts with her knees and has a pretty decent hold on him.

"What are you even doing here, you big dope?" Ina mutters, while Jonathan looks on in astonishment. What _can't_ she do?

" _What?"_ She notices him staring.

"Nothing, Sorry." He looks anywhere but at her.

"Keep your arm close to your body. It'll hurt less." She demonstrates for him, all while is Eren still unconscious on her back. Jonathan mimics her movements, feeling a little relief when holds his palm to his chest.

"Support your elbow with your other hand." Ina instructs.

"You should totally be a nurse when you grow up. You're so smart." He marvels at her many awesome traits.

She doesn't respond to his comment. He's always like this for some reason. Constantly telling Ina how cool he thinks she is. She really doesn't see it. There's never been anything special about her. But whenever she tells him to knock it off, he does the opposite.

"Come on let's go before anymore of my family shows up and makes a damn scene."

Ina figures big brother wouldn't be here by himself. Knowing Eren, he separated from the group or ran ahead. He never listens to instructions or follows the group. Stupid idiot. If he had paid any attention at all he'd have seen how happy Ina was before he tackled Jonathan. It was the best she'd felt in so long and big brother ruined that beautiful moment. She's glad she knocked him out. He deserves it. Ina wants to know what the hell any of them are doing here. But finds herself so focused on helping Jonathan that she can't think long enough on anything else. Still, Ina knows that if big brother is here, everyone _else_ is probably here too. She's not looking forward to that family reunion.

When they get to the infirmary, Jonathan makes up a story about roughhousing between classes and that his shoulder injury was a byproduct of said activities. As for Eren, they say nothing and the nurse on duty doesn't ask. She's more preoccupied with the fact that this tiny child is carrying someone who is almost certainly 3x her size.

"I reduced his shoulder already he just needs a sling." Ina comments, with big brother still limp on her back.

"Um… sure. Wait- where did you learn how to-"

"That's her business." Jonathan cuts the nurse off before she can impose on Ina's privacy. Ina looks to Jonathan with gratitude in her eyes.

The nurse looks dumbfounded for a split second.

"Alright… sit down, son. I'll get you that sling. And you can lay… him down right here."

Ina walks over to the side of the infirmary bed and unceremoniously drops Eren on it. Her face scrunches up in annoyance when she looks at her brother. Jonathan finds it to be so cute he forgets that he's staring. Again.

"What?" Ina feels a bit self conscious.

"Huh? Oh…. Um… nothing." Jonathan just looks down. Cut it out. She already thinks you're a wuss because of all that crying.

The nurse returns with the sling, much to Jonathan's relief. She places his injured arm inside of it, but isn't as gentle as Ina was. Jonathan bites his tongue to hold back a groan of pain. How did Ina manage to make everything hurt less when this trained professional is handling him like a carpenter does a hammer and nails.

Just then the door to the infirmary swings open. Hange barrels in, Papa and all her brothers and sisters are behind her.

Oh god _what?_


	4. Chapter 4

Here we are with chapter 4! This was originally much MUCH longer but I split it into two chapters. The next one is actually still pretty long despite my splitting it. anyway, enjoy! Oh, btw you guys might notice somebody going by a different name here. I'll explain that further at the end of the chapter hehehe.

* * *

"Excuse me I'm looking for the main- _Cupcake!_ "

"What are you doing here?" Ina exclaims.

"Ma'am?" The infirmary nurse just looks confused. "Can I help you?"

Hange ignores her. She and the others rush over to Ina. Hange takes Ina into her arms before the little girl can protest.

"Let us look at you."

Hange glances over Ina's face then checks her neck and shoulders. Ina draws the line in the sand when Hange lifts up her sweater and shirt underneath to look at her belly. Those bruises are still healing. She doesn't want anyone to see them.

"No! Wait!" She has to put a considerable amount of effort into struggling to keep her shirt down.

"Mama, knock it off!"

"Ina just get it over with. If I don't look, Papa will. And I'd rather he didn't go nuts and break anymore bones in his body."

"Wha- papa are you alright?"

He looks terrible. Like he's barely holding himself together. Of all people, Krista places a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to console him.

Ina loses the fight and feels cool air on her belly while Hange investigates.

"Baby cakes…" Hange mumbles, her expression devastated. Ina hears her brothers and sisters gasping and cursing at the discovery of her belly bruises.

"Why are you guys even here? And why did big brother attack my friend?"

"Ina, we know what's been happening." Krista starts.

"Nothing's happening." Ina should know better than to argue with them. There's no way they'd be here without knowing _everything._

"Don't you Fucking lie to us." Papa's voice sounds shredded. Like he did the day he found her after she'd been hurt by he monsters. He steps forward and Ina can see his left arm is in a sling and his right wrist is wrapped in compression bandages.

"Don't lie."

"Papa… I didn't want… you weren't supposed to know." Ina laments.

This is awful. She forced everyone to come down here and clean up her mess for a 4th time. It's the last thing Ina wanted to happen. She saw the look of disappointment on his face the last time he was here. He never said anything, but she knew papa expected better of her. That's why she swore that she would never fight again. That she wouldn't cause any more trouble. She didn't want Papa to come up here with that look on his face again.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't you apologize, kiddo. None of this was your fault. You should have told us, though." Jean reminds her.

"But I promised I wouldn't get in any fights. I promised I'd do better. I didn't want to make all of you come back here to fix my mistakes."

Hange sets Ina down on the bed where Eren is still passed out and sits next to the small child. The others file in further, some sitting on the bed or pulling up chairs.

Jonathan just remains where he is, still as a statue. Hoping no one here notices him. He has half a mind to leave Ina to be with her family, but is a little worried he'd get caught trying to escape.

"Ina." Armin comes up next to her. "This isn't the same thing."

"Yes it is! These are the same kids I fought with at the beginning of term! It's the same fight. I don't want you guys thinking I can't behave. I wanted to do something right for once."

"Letting these people hurt you isn't right, Ina."

"I…" Ina is struggling.

"These are just like the monsters Ina, and you know it. Don't defend them."

She cringes. "No. No they're not. I know… I know what a monster is like."

"Just because they're younger and don't have the MP insignia on their jackets doesn't mean they can't do horrible things. Ina, you're worth protecting. Worth fighting for. Don't you know that?"

Armin sounds crushed. Heartbroken. Ina knows why. He spent his entire childhood fearing for his life. Dealing with his own monsters. Of course he feels awful about what's been going on with her.

"Do you know how embarrassed and ashamed I was when Eren and Mikasa had to come help me? They got into dozens of fights on my behalf and landed themselves in twice as much trouble all because of me. They had nothing to do with any of it. It was my problem, not theirs. But that didn't stop them from helping me every single time."

"That's different, big brother."

"No, Ina! It's the exact same thing! My friends never sat around while someone was hurting me because they cared. Do you really think we're going to let this happen to you? We love you, you beautiful knucklehead!"

"But… I… It was my fault. They did it because-"

"Stop right there. There's never a true justification for bullying, Ina. For years I told myself that my big mouth was why those kids hurt me. That I had it coming. It wasn't until later in my life that I accepted that they hurt me because they could, not because I deserved it. No one should go through this, Ina."

"I promised I'd stop fighting." Ina wipes away a tear.

Hange shushes her. "We wanted you to recognize your strengths, and pick your battles. Ina we would never in a million years ask you to put yourself through something like this. Especially not after the hell you've been through."

"Defending yourself, and starting a fight are not the same thing, sugarplum. If someone puts their hands on you, knock them the fuck out."

"But I'd still get in trouble for fighting! I'd still be making Papa come down here to talk to the headmaster!"

Connie joins in on the conversation. "Ina, these aren't fights. These kids are attacking you. It's bullying in its most volatile form. And no school tolerates that shit."

"It doesn't matter. I got in three fights already, and two of them were definitely my fault. Nobody would believe me if I told."

"I believed you." Jonathan says loud enough for all to hear.

The way everyone turns to the speaker of those words scares him so much that he stands and trips over his own feet trying to get away. Should have kept your mouth shut Johnny. Better yet, he should have left when the nurse did.

Ina jumps down from the bed and runs to help him up. She then stands in front of him, her body poised and ready to defend. It's similar to how he was ready to fight for her with those boys earlier today.

"Ina who is this?" Mikasa asks. And even she sounds angry. Ready to make anyone who hurt her baby sister bleed.

Some of the scouts start to approach them and Ina hears her friend whimper. She's never seen him so afraid.

"You guys back off right now." Ina feels Jonathan shaking. "Now! Then I'll tell you who he is."

"Everyone stand the fuck down." Levi orders and steps forward. "Are you Jonathan?"

The little boy's tongue has gone dry and is stuck to the roof of his mouth. He can't formulate any words. Can't make any part of his body move. He attempts the smallest of nods.

" _You're_ Jonathan?" Hange stands next to Levi.

"He's my friend! Big brother already hurt him before I could explain. Leave him-"

"It's okay." Jonathan finds himself whispering to her. He's unable to move Ina out of the way so he just moves from behind her.

"Yes, I'm Jonathan. I wrote the letter."

"What letter?" Ina looks at her best friend. "What are you talking about? Do you know who they are?" She points to her psychotic family.

"Captain Levi?"

Jonathan ignores Ina and looks up at the terrifying man who happens to have a sling identical to his own. The man's eyes are frighteningly angry. He looks at Jonathan like the boy was scraped off of the road. When he steps forward, Jonathan finds that his feet have stopped listening to his brain. His mind is telling him to run until he hits Wall Rose. But his body is shutting down. He already knew Ina's father was intimidating. But nothing prepared him for the plummeting of his stomach at the mere sight of this man.

"Papa?" Ina is ready to step in front of Jonathan again, but when Levi looks at her she falters. He's never looked so angry before.

"He's my friend, Papa. He's been-"

"I know exactly who he is."

"Then-"

"Quiet, Ina."

"I…" Jonathan swallows his nerves. "I meant what I said in that letter, Captain. I'm… so sorry."

Levi kneels in front of Jonathan.

"I'm sorry." Jonathan says once more before shutting his eyes. Somewhat turning his head. Almost as though he's bracing himself for what he knows what's to come.

Levi feels himself transported to the past. He's in a hallway with Ina. He reaches out to touch her shoulder and she flinches. Shutting her eyes and turning her head.

 _Even the kindest gesture is a slap to her face._

This isn't the first time the boy has apologized to an adult this way. Not the first time he's dared to speak up, knowing he might suffer unknown consequences.

Levi knew the kid had an abusive father. He should have connected the dots.

Jonathan is still standing there, his breathing fast and unsteady. His eyes shut tight while he fails to hold in a whimper of pure fear. Levi pulls jonathan forward with his less injured hand and wraps him in a one armed hug. He can feel the boy's frantic heartbeat. Hear the ragged breathing.

Jonathan's scream dies in his throat. That's most certainly not what he was expecting.

"Thank you." Levi whispers to the boy. "Thank you so much for your letter."

He pulls away to look at Jonathan head on, his expression much more relaxed than it was a minute ago.

"You did the right thing." Levi rests his bandaged hand on the side of Jonathan's face.

"Thank you for protecting her."

"Wait a second…" Ina is slowly piecing everything together. She looks at her friend.

" _You_ told?!"

"I had to. I'm sorry, Ina."

"You bastard! Why!" Ina punches him in the stomach. Jonathan doubles over just slightly. Yikes that hurt. Levi grabs ina around the waist before she can hit him again.

"I told you, Ina. I was done letting them hurt you. I had to do _something._ " Jonathan feels like he might lose his breakfast after that gut punch.

"This isn't your business, Jonathan!" Ina weakly fights her father's hold.

"None of this should have happened…" she mumbles. "This is all my fault."

"Ina that's enough. Calm the fuck down before I have one of these brats sit on you." Levi can only put up with so much of her stubbornness at a time like this.

"Papa… I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I should have tried better."

"Hey!" Hange takes Ina from Levi. "First of all, it's tried _harder_. You're not allowed to be cute while we scold you. Second of all; Cut it out." She orders.

"Your friend did the right thing and you know it. Ina, would you ever try to justify what the monsters did to you?"

This is like the second time someone has brought up monsters. Jonathan knew Ina had a scary past, but no details beyond that. Just mentioning the monsters changes her entire demeanor. Jonathan finds himself curious, but knows better. It's her business. If she wants him to know about that part of her past, she'll tell him. Otherwise he shouldn't be nosy.

"These aren't monsters…" Ina pouts.

"They're bullies, Ina. Kids can be bad too, you know that."

"But I provoked them."

"Ina I swear to god if you say that one more time…." Papa threatens. Somehow not knowing what he would do is scarier than him voicing the threat.

Jonathan sighs. "You didn't ask for this. You haven't done anything wrong." He knew Ina was stubborn, but holy cow.

"But-"

Hange places her hand over Ina's mouth. "Hush. Jonathan, are you left or right handed?"

"Um… right?"

"We need you to write down the names of all the kids who have been bullying Ina."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Don't ma'am me. Call me Hange."

"Yes m- Hange." It doesn't sound right to call an adult by their first name.

"One more question, who did this?" Levi points to Jonathan's injured arm.

"Um… it's nothing really."

"That's not what I asked you, young man."

"It was… Ina's brother?" Jonathan points and everyone follows his finger to the culprit.

"Ina hit him and he passed out… he said he thought I was hurting her. I know he was just trying to protect her." Jonathan doesn't know why he's defending the person who almost tore his arm off.

"Fucking dumbass." Jean rolls his eyes at the teen still passed out on the bed.

"Any of you would have done what he did don't lie to yourselves." Hange knows damn well any of them would have acted with thinking.

"Just be glad it was Eren and not Levi or me. We hit a kid and we go to jail, you guys are still underage and can get away with that. Stupid as it may be."

These are teenagers?! Jonathan tries to hide his shock but fails and Levi catches it. Jonathan's reactions are almost as cute as Ina's were when she first met them.

"He's still a dumbass." Levi comments. "Jonathan I'm going to need that list of names."

"Yes, Sir."

"It's just Levi." Stop being cute you little shit.

"Um…." Jonathan has never had this informal of an introduction to an adult before. He still doesn't want to call either of them by their names. It just sounds wrong. So he'll avoid it when he can.

"Okay."

* * *

I won't sat anything if you won't hehe. What I will say is that I'm an idiot. I published this fic first but in doing so I screwed up my timeline. Let me just tell y'all, Hange's new "nickname" is no accident. You'll get an explanation eventually...


	5. Chapter 5

Hey howdy hey everybody! Here I am with chapter 5. To respond to my guest reviewer: I'm very glad you like the story. To answer your question, Ina is 9 here. She's in the 6th grade because she tested out of 4th and 5th grade. So Jonathan is slightly older than her. I actually do have a fanfic written that focuses solely on Ina's 9th birthday, and it takes place before this one. But I jumped the gun. The birthday fic will be published after I wrap this one up. I'll keep you guys in suspense a little longer lol.

Just a slight warning, this chapter does get a little intense.

* * *

At some point the infirmary nurse left and ran to get the headmaster. He didn't believe her when she said over half a dozen scouts were in the infirmary, causing more than a slight disturbance. But she was adamant. So here he is on his way to sort this mess out. The nurse opted to stay behind. She said she was too afraid to face them again.

It's got to be some punks from the high school passing themselves off as soldiers again. That's the only explanation. What would a bunch of trained scouts be doing here anyway?

"Alright games over." He says as he swings the infirmary door open. He's not prepared… he's really not prepared.

"And you are?" Jean asks, bold as ever.

"I am the headmaster of this institution! What is the meaning of this?!"

"Gimme A break, you fucking joke." Connie rolls his eyes.

Armin steps forward. "Why were we alerted of a problem with Ina by another student and not by faculty? Are your instructors being paid that much to look the other way instead of doing their jobs?" He's squaring off against the headmaster- not at all put off by the foot and a half height difference.

"Armin I got this." Hange places her hand on the blonde boy's shoulder.

"Who do you think you are?" The headmaster is astounded at their haughty attitudes.

"You know goddamn well who we are. We're here because none of you can clean up after yourselves or keep your students safe."

"I'll have you know our school has the lowest incident rate in the entire district. The only reason that went up in the first place was _because_ of your daughter."

Levi starts toward the headmaster, his eyes dark and promising murder. Jean, Connie and Mikasa hold him back. They came here to help Ina, not kill the goddamn headmaster.

"I dare you to pin this on her, I fucking dare those words to pass your mentally disabled lips." Levi growls.

"Your daughter is the one who disrupted our community. She's brazen and unhinged, and _violent_ , just like the family she comes from. The child belongs in a reform school. Not here where she can hurt other students."

"Captain, don't!" Sasha jumps in front of Levi. "With all due respect, headmaster, if you wanna leave with your limbs attached you need to fuck off."

Now Krista and Sasha must help the others keep Levi where he is. Because he wants nothing more than to rip this bastard's head off.

Hange has about had it with this guy, but she's much better at controlling her temper than Levi is.

"Look, you egomaniacal waste of existence, we're here now because your upstanding students have been torturing our daughter."

"We've had no complaints since her last brawl, which I'm sure you remember she admitted to instigating."

"If you don't stop insulting her, I might just make them let Levi go." Hange threatens. "I'm this close, you sorry pile of fucking human misery." She holds up her finger and thumb.

"I only meant that your daughter isn't blameless, surely you must understand that."

The teenagers lose the battle. Even with the 5 of them putting their all into holding Levi back, it wasn't enough to stop the walking tornado of _fury_ he'd become. Being bandaged and in a sling didn't seem to make him any less intimidating.

The coward before them tries to make a run for it but is grabbed by his shirt collar by none other than Hange.

"I fucking warned you."

" _WAIT_!" Ina's voice cuts through the chaos. She jumps in between Levi and his victim, then puts all her strength into pushing him back. Aside from Hange, Ina is the only person who can physically stop Levi in his tracks. It's astounding what this little girl can do.

"Enough! That's enough!" She cries.

The distress in her voice is all it takes for Levi to go from 100 back to 50.

"You. You're the luckiest sonofabitch who still gets to draw breath don't you fucking forget that." Levi points at the headmaster, who's gone pale as a ghost.

Levi kneels beside Ina, and without much warning, lifts up her sweater and school shirt, exposing her belly and the myriad of bruises once again for the whole world to see. She tries to fight him. Nobody should see these. Even if they know they're there.

"Papa- no…" she can't help it when tears come to her eyes. Ina just avoids making eye contact with the headmaster, even though he's looking right at her and her belly.

Levi will apologize to Ina once this is over. But he's trying to make a point here. " _This_ is why we're here. _This_ is unacceptable. These aren't fights. It's not a disturbance or a stain on your fucking incident record. She's in pain. And a school is supposed to be a place where children can feel safe and protected. Don't you _ever_ blame her. This entire shitfest is on _you._ "

"I… I assure you I was… I had no idea." The headmaster cannot deny that seeing the canvas of bruises on that child's body sends shivers up and down his entire frame. He started this school with the goal of molding young minds for the future. He's seen firsthand what neglect and ignorance can do to children. The moment he pointed the finger at Ina was the moment he completely lost sight of his own vision. He'll be haunted by those bruises until the day he dies.

"I'm so sorry." His sincerity is very clear. But the truth still remains, he had the power to stop this and did nothing. He saw Ina as a problem child and therefore stopped treating her like she was worthy of respect. Worth protecting.

" _You_ failed her." Hange finally let's go of his collar. "We sat you down and _told_ you about the hell she'd been through. We _trusted_ you to be her advocate!" She pushes him against the wall, her own anger getting the best of her after getting another look at those bruises on Ina's stomach.

"Mama! Please just let him go!" Ina yells. "No more!"

"Get out! We'll be in your office with a list of names and I better see some action out of you!" Hange releases the headmaster and shoves him toward the door. He leaves while he can still do so with his own two legs.

"Fucking imbecile…" she huffs.

"Jonathan? It's okay sweetie, you can come out." Krista is the first to notice that Ina's friend has fled and is cowering under a table. He sits there holding his knees to his chest, rocking himself slightly while his wide eyes stare blankly ahead of him.

"You're safe here, I promise." She holds her hand out to him. He just moves further away from her.

"What's wrong?" Ina comes to crouch next to Krista. "I'm so sorry, Jonathan. You guys scared him." Ina berates her family.

Are they… are they speaking real words? Are they talking to him? Jonathan can't tell, and can't comprehend much of anything at the moment. He doesn't know where he is or what's happening. Only that if he moves he might get caught. He might get hurt. And that fear keeps him rooted to his spot.

"Jonathan, it's me. It's Ina."

He hears her name somehow.

"Ina?" His response is nothing but a whimper of her name.

"Yes, it's just me. Do you… do you remember who I am?"

He nods. She's his best friend. The highlight of his school day. Ina is good. She won't hurt you.

"Jonathan, you're safe. It's okay to come out."

Now he shakes his head. He can't come out. Something awful will happen if he does.

Ina slowly crawls under the table to sit next to him. She wraps her arms around his trembling shoulders, careful to be gentle.

"You're okay. You're okay." She whispers to him. "Together, Jonathan. I'm okay."

"I'm okay." He mumbles.

"I'm okay." Ina says again and Jonathan mimics her.

"No one can hurt me." She whispers.

Jonathan hesitates, but eventually repeats the statement.

"No one can hurt me."

The life returns to his eyes. He seems awake now. Aware of his surroundings. Why is he under the table? Why is Ina holding him like this? What happened?

"Do you feel better?"

Jonathan just nods. He's so confused right now. How'd he get under here? Why does everyone look so worried?

"Let's get from under the table."

Ina doesn't move until he does. And when they're clear from the table everyone takes a few steps back. They really do look worried sick. Jonathan has seen this expression before. Sometimes his mom looks like that. She's always worried like this when he loses time. He doesn't really get why. But that must have been what happened here.

"Jonathan?" Hange kneels in front of the boy.

"Yes ma'am?"

"I am so sorry. I… we weren't thinking. We shouldn't have behaved that way."

"Uh… excuse me?" He's so lost! What's going on? Why does she sound about as guilty as Ina's father looks?

"What's the last thing you remember, Jonathan?" He doesn't flinch when Hange places her hand on his strong shoulder.

"Wasn't I making that list?"

Hange looks down for a moment, then back up with a slight smile.

"Yes, you were. Why don't we get back to it then?"

"Yes ma'am."

He takes his seat and gets back to writing that list. Everyone is quiet at first, so quiet that all he hears is his pencil on the paper. But eventually some of them start cracking jokes and bantering again.

"Just ignore them." Ina has stayed by his side, which makes him feel a little better. "I won't let them bother you."

"Oh come on, peanut it's just a little bit of fun."

"Peanut?" Jonathan is only assuming she means Ina. "Is that you? That's so cute!" He can't help but snicker.

"Shut up." Ina crosses her arms.

"I'm excited to get to know you, pal. If you think she's cute now wait till you get her in front of a setting sun." Connie puts his arm around Jonathan, careful to avoid touching the boy's injured shoulder.

"You guys…" Ina whines. "Why?"

"Because why _not_?" Sasha and Connie high five.

"Face it, kiddo, family is there simply to embarrass you in front of friends." Jean shrugs.

"Accept your fate now. Because they'll stop once you stop reacting to it." Armin smiles.

"Alright knock it off guys let him concentrate." Krista tells her friends. Jonathan is as distracted by Krista's beauty as he is by all the antics around him.

"Is that all of them Jonathan?" Her blue eyes drop to the page.

"Um… I think so?"

"Thank you very much." She smiles at Jonathan and winks. The younger boy just swallows his nerves.

"You're adorable! Can we keep you?" Sasha exclaims while pinching his cheeks. Finally someone said it. Levi thought he was going crazy.

"Um…." Jonathan is at a complete loss for words. Luckily the focus is taken off of him for a moment. Eren finally comes to, groaning as he sits up.

"What the fuck happened?" He mumbles.

"Come here, brat." Levi orders.

Jonathan, not knowing any better, assumes Levi is speaking to him. He's about to answer the summons when Levi walks over to where Eren is still massaging his jaw. It's healed, but pretty sore.

Jonathan realizes he was mistaken, but is already standing. As if he wasn't already embarrassed.

"Stop your bitching. Get up."

Levi pulls Eren by his collar. Even with both hands injured, Levi is still freakishly strong. He drags Eren off the bed and pulls him to a standing position with just his right hand. Eren tries to follow the Captains swift speed so he doesn't get choked out by his own shirt collar. Levi leads Eren to the empty space right in front of Jonathan.

"Get on your fucking knees."

"You just told me to-"

Levi knees Eren right in the gut. The force of the kick lands Eren on his knees anyway.

"Now a-fucking-pologize to him." Levi frowns and points to Jonathan.

"Um… Le- Sir, he already said-"

"I told you, it's Levi. And this brat owes you."

"The kids right though I alread-"

"No you didn't big brother! Look what you did to his shoulder!" Ina exclaims. Finally breaking her silence.

"It's okay, I know why he did it. Um, Eren right? No hard feelings?"

"You're too nice kid." Levi comments. He places a firm hand around Eren's neck and shoves the teen down until he's practically bowing.

"Really, Sir. It's okay." Jonathan feels a little bad for Eren.

"Don't call me sir, I mean it."

"Yes, Sir. Oh- I'm sorry. It's- I mean- sorry. This is so weird- I'm just… I'll be quiet now." The young boy continues to stammer out his response. Levi can't even help it when a small grin appears on his face.

Oh god the captain is laughing at him. Oh sweet mother of Rose, Maria, and Sina. Jonathan just bites the inside of his cheek and looks down. This couldn't possibly get any worse.

Hange barks with laughter. "Jonathan, you're so sweet. But Eren was wrong, and he would have done worse had Ina not stopped him. He does owe you an apology. And we'll make sure he makes up for that shoulder of yours."

"Look kid-" Eren starts but is smacked upside the head by Levi.

"Mind your goddamn manners, brat."

" _Jonathan_." Eren enunciates on purpose. "I really am sorry for hurting your shoulder." This time Eren bows his head without someone telling him to or forcing him.

"It's okay. I probably would have acted the same too if I thought someone was hurting Ina."

"Happy now?" Eren turns to look back at the captain, who has another frown set into his features.

"Watch who the fuck you're talking to. Until this kid loses the sling you're his personal assistant, you understand?"

"What?!"

"Captain Levi, Sir- that- that really isn't- I don't need that. I think I'll be okay."

"This isn't up for debate." Levi looks at Jonathan.

"But I…" his protest dies in his throat. "Yes, sir." Jonathan resigns himself.

"Jonathan quit Sir-ing him, it's just Levi." Hange laughs again.

"I'm sorry, it's a force of habit. I'm trying, it's just… strange." Jonathan confesses.

"Let's talk kid." This time Jonathan knows Levi is talking to him. He freezes for a second before it registers that Levi means for Jonathan to follow him out of the room.

"Papa wa-"

"Relax, cupcake he's not going to cook your friend, he just wants to talk." Hange puts her arm around Ina and whispers her next words. "He'll be okay."

Jonathan looks back at Ina with a nervous smile before following Levi out of the infirmary.

"Mama? What happened to him?" Ina asks Hange.

"It's something called dissociation. It has a lot of causes, but in his case I think his mind did it in an effort to protect himself."

"You guys really scared him." Ina is almost upset at her family for hurting Jonathan this way.

"We did. And I'm still kicking myself for it."

"Jonathan… he told me about what used to happen at home. How his Papa was a really terrible person. Do you think that has something to do with it?"

"I do, sweet pea. Everyone has their own monsters. And for him, it's his own father."

"Damn." Connie rubs the back of his neck. "We had no idea what the hell was happening."

"I haven't seen someone behave that way since we met Ina." Armin comments. Of course, he doesn't remember his own dissociative episode. When they were stuck in that prison cell in the capital and had discovered Ina was badly hurt. He has no memory of that incident, or how worried his friends were that day.

"I don't want any of you saying a word to him about that, got it?!" Hange orders.

"Yes, squad leader." They all respond.

"This all happened while I was out?" Eren is still catching up but the fact that so much went on while he was knocked out is astounding to him.

* * *

When Jonathan exits the infirmary he can't even pretend his brain isn't screaming at him to just take off running as soon as he gets outside. Even though the Captain has been nothing but nice to him so far, Jonathan still feels that sense of danger. Still feels fear creeping up the back of his neck and making him shiver.

He finds Captain Levi leaning on the set of lockers against the wall to his left. The young boy joins him, but keeps his distance and says nothing.

"How did you and Ina meet?" Levi asks, sounding much more calm out here than he was in there.

"Um… well… we-"

"Relax, kid. This isn't an interrogation, I just want to talk."

"Sorry, I'm just- this is just a lot to take in at one time."

"I'll bet." Levi chuckles. Jonathan actually flinches at the sound. What's with this boy?

"Are you alright, Jonathan? I can send Hange out here if you'd rather talk to her. Or maybe have Ina join us?"

"Um, no, Sir that's… im fine. It's just… I knew who you were, but I never knew about the rest of Ina's family."

"They're obnoxious, I know. One of them by themselves is a lot to handle. But they mean well. Ina wouldn't be here without their sacrifices."

"Oh, no I didn't mean it like that! It's just…"

"Jonathan," Levi cuts him off and stands up straight. The boy follows suit.

"You're not in any kind of trouble, understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What's with you and sir?"

"I… my parents taught me all grown ups are sir and ma'am. It's to show respect."

"Until you're told otherwise." Levi corrects him.

"If an adult tells you not to call them sir or ma'am, wouldn't continuing to do so defeat the purpose?"

"I… I guess so?" Jonathan shrugs, but then grimaces when his shoulder flares with pain. It hurts so much he feels icky stuff rising up his throat.

"Jonathan?"

"I'm fine, Sir." Jonathan completely forgets to check himself. Levi is understanding he's going to have to let it slide for now.

"Um… how did we meet?"

Levi just nods. Allowing Jonathan to take his time to answer.

"Me and Ina met on the first day she got here. I noticed how she didn't really seem to understand anything that was happening. She just looked lost, so I offered to help her figure stuff out in the beginning. I guess we've been friends ever since."

"No wonder her first letter was all sunshine and shit. She had you." Captain Levi chuckles again. Jonathan doesn't flinch this time. Good.

"Uh… yeah, I guess so."

"Can I ask you a personal question, Jonathan? Only if you're okay with it."

"Yes, Sir. It's fine."

"Does your father still live at home?"

Levi feels chills run down his frame at the sight of the boy shrinking away from the mere mentioning of his father.

"Um… no, Sir. We… my mom has a… restraining… a restraining order." Jonathan leans back on the lockers and slides to the ground. He can't feel his body. Can't breathe.

Levi curses internally. It's happening again.

"I'm sorry. This doesn't- I'm not always like this." Jonathan apologizes, unable to stop this ridiculous behavior. "I'm sorry, Captain."

"Don't apologize. It's alright." Levi sits next to the boy cowering on the floor.

"I'm sorry."

Jonathan whimpers. Bringing the hand of his uninjured arm to partially cover his face. It looks like he's not completely dissociating like he did last time. That's a good sign. Levi wishes he could hug the boy. That he could hold him and tell him that everything would be alright. That he was safe and that no one would ever hurt him again. But he knows at this moment it would do more harm than good. So he just watches Jonathan closely. Looks at his eyes to make sure they don't glaze over like they did before.

"You're safe with us, Jonathan. No matter what happens, you have people in your corner."

Jonathan breathes deeply and rests his head on the lockers. He nods and takes the Captain's words to heart. He's safe. He's safe.

"Listen to me, Jonathan. Speaking up about something that's still so painful to help someone you care about makes you one of the bravest individuals I've ever met. I know it wasn't easy to write that letter. And I know talking about your home life is still incredibly difficult."

Jonathan just takes another deep breath. Keep breathing. Don't make yourself dizzy again.

"My mom… she's the best person I know. I- I hated seeing what my dad was doing to her." Jonathan can't help it when he starts to cry.

"When it started happening to Ina… I saw my mom. I saw how scared and hurt she was…" He sobs.

"I'm sorry for all the crying." Jonathan tries to take another deep breath and wipes his face dry.

"Tears are not a weakness." Levi reminds him. "It's hard to see someone you care about go through something like that. Ina told you she's adopted right?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Well we didn't get her from an orphanage. We found her in an abandoned village. She was buried beneath the rubble and debris of a broken down house for three days."

"Was she hurt?!" Jonathan doesn't know why he sounds so alarmed. Ina is barely 20 feet away, he knows she's alright.

"Not as much as she could have been. Her back was injured, but nothing critical. It's a miracle she survived at all."

"That's incredible, I had no idea." The young boy feels like he knows her so well, but doesn't know her at all in a way. But she could probably say the same thing about him. He doesn't freely talk about how his father hurt him and his mother. So he wouldn't expect Ina to talk about her life before being adopted.

"Thank you for rescuing her, Sir." If they hadn't, he'd never have met Ina in the first place. Would live in a world where he never knew her smile, or her hugs, or her kindness.

"These Sirs are aging me like twenty years, kid."

"Sorry, I'll try to stop." Jonathan promises.

"Don't worry about it. Do what's comfortable. Ina used to call me Captain. In fact, when we first met she could barely be in the same room as me."

"Really?"

Levi nods. "Before we found her, she spent a good part of her life being abused by Military Police. So naturally, she didn't trust any of us further than she could throw us. Me least of all."

"I… didn't know that."

"She doesn't like to talk about it much. It's a dark part of her past."

"So… the monsters you guys keep talking about. It was the… those other soldiers?"

Levi sighs. "Yeah. Dozens of them, for most of her childhood. She was fighting for her life in more ways than one when we found her."

"That's… that's awful. I can't… wow. So that's why she was always telling me she'd been through worse… because she really has?"

"More than either of us will ever truly know." Captain Levi sounds so sad.

Jonathan is sure that dealing with Ina after she'd been hurt for so long must have been difficult. At least here, she knew what a smile was. She had a friend. But back then, she was all alone. No one to comfort her when she cried, or clean her up when she bled. Jonathan still can't close his eyes for very long at night without bad dreams, and his father's been gone a year. He can't imagine how hard it must have been for Ina to feel safe after being hurt for so long.

"But she's better now, right? I mean, her whole family is here and it seems like you all love her a lot."

"We do, kid. A whole lot. And it looks like you do too."

"What? No I don't. I just- no, she's my friend. I care about her." Jonathan argues.

Levi grins. "It's not a curse, Jonathan."

"But I don't…"

"Come on, who are you trying to convince? You got suspended for her. You wrote a letter directly to her father, who happens to be a captain in the military. You even looked up alternative schools for her. That's love, kid."

"It's… we're just-" Jonathan can't formulate a response. "She's my best friend. That's all. Friends help each other."

"So? Ina's mom is my best friend. What's your point?"

"I don't know… we're just kids. And, I'm probably not going to see her much after all this gets sorted out anyway." Jonathan frowns slightly.

He knew there was a chance that once Ina's family got involved, he might never see her again. It was a risk he was willing to take for her.

"What makes you so sure?"

"I mean… look at her. She's going to go to another school and find really great new friends without any trouble. She'll finally be happy. I don't need to be a part of any of that for it to work." Jonathan turns his head the other way. Staring down the hall in the hopes that the lump in his throat will go away. He's really going to miss her.

"Ina won't be changing schools, Jonathan."

"But she has to-"

"Those little shits that were hurting her are the only ones leaving. Ina shouldn't be the one forced to uproot herself and start over. Not again."

"I guess I didn't think about that…"

"Besides, what kind of father would I be if I separated Ina from her best friend?"

Jonathan tries to hide his smile from the Captain. He's beyond excited to learn that Ina won't be leaving. That he'll still get to see her face every day.

Just like with Ina, Levi is finding Jonathan so cute he wants to smother the little bastard. God please STOP. You're a captain in the goddamn survey corps, quit fawning over these fucking kids.

"Just so you know, when it's time to ask for my blessing- you've got it."

"Sir?"

"You'll figure it out. Come on let's go back inside before Ina launches a search party looking for you." Levi stands and offers his hand to Jonathan, who hesitates, but eventually takes it.

"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to write me another letter. I'll give you the information for the Dok estate. They're the people Ina stays with up here. They can get the letter to me immediately."

"Yes, Sir."

"And Jonathan, if he ever comes back, you let me know as soon as you can. Take your mother and go to the Dok's. Marie, that's Ina's aunt, will be able to protect you until I can get there."

"Thank you, Sir."

No one has ever sounded so… Jonathan doesn't know the word for it. Determined? Not many people know about the things his father has done, but those that do choose to say and do very little to help. Captain Levi didn't even hesitate to extend a helping hand. He offered his help in three different ways in just these few minutes. There's a sense of brutal honesty that he realizes Ina definitely got from the Captain. It's admirable in its own rather frightening way. Jonathan hopes the time won't come where he needs to reach out to the Captain. Hopes that his father will never return. But he's more thankful than he can express that someone will be there to help them should the worst ever happen. It puts many of his fears and anxieties to rest. Maybe he'll be able to sleep just a little longer knowing that someone is willing to protect him and his mother.

* * *

"Did you give him our blessing?" Hange pipes up after Jonathan and Levi enter the infirmary.

"Damn straight."

All of Ina's siblings explode with laughter. Even Eren is bent over, trying to keep from falling at the question.

Her too? What do they mean when they say blessing? And how did they both manage to bring it up even though there's no way she could have heard Levi say that? Ina's parents are weirder than she is, and that's saying something.

Ina looks just as confused as Jonathan. Both children turn red as the laughter continues.

"Alright, okay. That's enough." Hange says as she tries to quiet the rest of the group.

"Let's nip this shit in the bud." She holds up the list of names.

"Jonathan, I'm going to ask you one more time. Is this everyone that hurt or took part in hurting our munchkin?"

"Munchkin?" He has to keep from laughing. They call Ina every name under the sun apparently.

"Focus Jonathan."

"Yes ma'am."

"You're driving me crazy with the ma'am thing, kid."

"Hange, focus." Levi reminds her.

"Alright, let's go. Ina and Jonathan you wait here with the 104th."

"104th ma'am?"

"That's us, former 104th cadet class at your service." Connie informs the younger boy.

Every single teenager in the room snaps into a salute.

Jonathan is startled and falls flat on his backside. Again. Ina has never seen him so jumpy before. She wonders why that is, but then lays her curiosity to rest when she recalls how easily startled she was when she first met them. It took her a long time to realize they were there to protect her. That they cared about her.

"Take it easy, Jonathan. Ina's family is your family." Levi helps the boy off the floor.

"That's right! Which means you're stuck with us for the foreseeable future." Krista winks at Jonathan again.

"I think you mean til death do they part." Sasha literally falls the floor she's laughing so hard. The rest of the 104th break out laughing again as well.

Hange and Levi leave with the list in hand, while Jonathan and Ina are left with the hollering 104th.

* * *

And that was Chapter 5! Not much more left to go. Just to let y'all know, the next chapter is pretty damn emotional. Probably one of the heaviest I've ever written. But it's near and dear to me. I worked really hard on it, so I do hope you enjoy it like you have been so far! Thanks so much for reading guys. I'll see you on the flip side :)


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the disappearing act. I've been busy and honestly pretty lazy. Like I said at the end of the last chapter, the following is kinda heavy. But there's more lighthearted fun towards the end. Thanks so much for reading guys!

* * *

The two children are excused from the rest of their classes for the day. Hange and the 104th go with Jonathan to inform his mother that they'll be treating him to lunch.

Ina and Levi stay behind. They walk to her favorite place in the area. A park with a host of beautiful trees. Ina starts making her way to a bench, seeing how there's no way Papa could climb in his condition. But he ignores her protests, climbing Ina's favorite tree with only slight difficulty.

"I'm getting old waiting for you, hurry up." He looks down to see Ina is still on the ground, her arms crossed.

"Papa you could get hurt. Come down!"

"If I can work 3D gear with a pulled hamstring I can climb a tree with a broken hand. Relax and get up here. We need to talk." He sits at the base of the widest branch and leans back on the trunk of the tree.

"Let's move with a purpose, please."

Ina rolls her eyes. "Fine. But if you fall it's not my fault."

"Your warning has been noted. Now come on. I brought chocolate."

"Chocolate?!" Ina starts climbing.

Levi knew she wouldn't be able to resist. She joins him on the branch and sits in his lap, resting her head in the crook of his neck for a moment.

"Where's my chocolate?" Ina searches his jacket pockets and even carefully checks his sling.

"It's with your mom."

"Papa!"

"I want to talk, Ina. Then you can have all the chocolate you want. We got your favorite."

"Truffles?"

"You bet."

"Fine, Papa. What'd you wanna talk about?" Ina already knows what he wants to discuss. She can see it in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me what was going on?"

The hurt in his voice makes it feel like Papa is yelling at her, even though he'd never do that.

"What… what happened here?" Ina mumbles, referring to his injuries.

"Can't you be honest with me anymore?"

"Only if you're honest too. Did you hurt yourself because of me?"

"It wasn't intentional, Ina. I don't even remember how it happened. I lost several minutes and when I came to… i was like this."

"I'm sorry…" she carefully takes his right hand and places a soft kiss on his bandaged wrist.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. You didn't answer my question."

"I… I already told you everything. I… I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Ina, why would I-"

"No, Papa. I know. I know you'd never be mad at me or hate me or… whatever. I know that."

"Then what is it?"

"I just… I've never been able to do anything right. I'm… I'm too much."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm… not smart enough to be in school. The rules make no sense to me. I can't get along with anyone. I just… I can't do this! I've been trying and I just _can't_. I don't know what's wrong with me!"

Ina pulls at her hair. Something she does when she's overwhelmed. With one hand completely out of commission, Levi isn't really able to stop her.

"Ina, look at me. Come on, look at Papa." He slowly untangles her fingers from her hair and holds them tight.

"Let me tell you something. School is a nightmare. Nobody is _good_ at school, you just learn how to manage it. Nothing is wrong with you. You're just like all the other kids out there who don't gel with school."

"No, all my classmates are doing fine. Jonathan is so smart, Papa. And Those bullies were even on the honor roll."

"Who cares? 20 years from now you're not going to look back on or even fully remember your days in the 6th grade."

"Yeah, in 20 years, sure. But what about the present? What about right now? I hate feeling so… stupid."

"You're not stupid, Ina. You skipped two grades. You're probably smarter than most of the kids in that class."

"I'm failing, Papa."

"No you're-"

"Mrs. Potter was one bad grade away from notifying you."

"How long has this been going on?"

"A… a couple months?"

"How long have those little bastards been making you miserable?"

"A couple months…"

"Kinda hard to focus on class work when someone's hands are around your neck, huh?"

"I guess…"

"So in theory, once they're out of the equation… see where I'm going with this?"

"But… I just-"

"Ina, why are you so hard on yourself? This is your first time in this kind of environment. I didn't expect for you to just coast by."

"I don't know… I want to make you proud."

"But I'm _so_ proud of you. And I'm not just saying that to say it. You're doing your best here and I know that. I can't imagine how tough it is to go from the life you had then to what you have now. But you're doing it. That's something to be proud of for sure. "

"I just… I feel like I should be better by now. I shouldn't still be having these problems."

" 'Should' is such a crappy word. In fact I think it's one of the stupidest words in our language." Levi starts.

"It gives us these ideas that things are supposed to be a certain way when in reality they are what they are. You were a homeless, battered orphan. If anything you _shouldn't_ be doing this well but you _are_. That's incredible, Ina. _You're_ incredible." He smiles at her.

"I am so proud of everything you've managed to accomplish so far. And I'm beyond excited to see where you go in the future. I just need a favor from you. I need you to cut yourself a break. So you're struggling. That's okay, understand? Everybody struggles. But you have a family now. You're allowed to rely on us."

"I'm sorry, Papa." She leans on him once more so she can hear his soothing heartbeat.

"I'm still… I'm still not completely used to asking for help. I've always just… tried to figure everything out on my own. Even when I had someone… I… couldn't… I learned how to not need help from anyone."

"By someone you mean us?"

"No, before you."

"Can I ask about that someone?"

"She… her name was Elena."

Ina slowly reaches up to Levi's shirt collar, pulling it aside to search for the golden necklace she knows is there.

"Elena took care of me… in between monsters. Together we found food, sometimes money. We… helped each other stay alive. She was like me; no family, no home. We just… we only had each other. Elena was my first… my first big sister. She… gave me my name."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She named me Ina."

Ina can't see herself as anyone but Ina now. But there was once a time where she had no name at all. Then Elena decided to give her one. Ina considers that her first real gift. Her name.

She sniffles and does nothing to stop the tears from falling. Levi runs a gentle hand through her hair to silently comfort her.

"We… we ran out of water. It was… so hot outside. So hot. I remember… my feet burned from walking on the road too much. But… both of us went searching for water. I'd never been so thirsty in my life. I… I kept throwing up. It wasn't until later that I learned what… what a heat stroke was."

"I'm so sorry, Ina."

Even with all that he has been through, Levi finds it next to impossible to even picture the things Ina went through. The fact that she's still here at all is a fucking miracle. He meant what he said earlier: she shouldn't be here. But she is. She survived that nightmare and is thriving. That's fucking amazing.

"No… don't be. Because of the heat stroke, big sister had to take care of me. I couldn't help us find food or water."

"You were sick. You'd have died if you pushed yourself too hard."

"No! No! If I wasn't sick then she could have taken care of herself. She finally found something, but she gave it all to me." Ina sobs.

"I didn't even realize that she fed me everything we had until it was too late! She starved to death because of me! I killed her!"

Levi hugs Ina closer and rubs calming circles on her back. He doesn't shush her or try to get her to quiet down. Ina deserves the chance to grieve. To feel guilty and heartbroken. She doesn't need someone to try and make her feel better. There's no bright side to this.

"She was my best friend. My only family!" Ina wails. "I killed my big sister!"

"I'm so sorry, Ina. I'm so sorry."

Levi feels his own eyes well up with tears. Goddammit. This kid has made him cry more in the time he's known her than in his entire life. But for once, Levi feels like these tears are warranted. He knows exactly how she feels. Remembers the guilt and grief tearing him to pieces. He was never the same after Kuchel, and still hasn't forgiven himself for letting her die. He was so young. He didn't know any better. Didn't know she was keeping him alive by slowly killing herself. The memory of her rotting corpse lying on the bed still haunts him, even though it's been close to 30 years.

Her last words to him were 'you need it more, my love.'

Losing his mother that way hurt like a real bitch then. And it still hurts even after all this time.

It's because of this Levi knows Ina will never truly move past what happened to Elena. But that's okay. She shouldn't have to. Maybe one day, she can look back on her memories of her big sister with a smile. Maybe Levi can help get her to that point. One day.

"I think your big sister is my new favorite person." Levi smiles and places a soft kiss on Ina's forehead.

"Why?" Ina croaks, her voice hoarse from the intense sobbing session she just had.

"You're here now because of her sacrifice. You found a home, and a family that loves you to fucking pieces. I don't think I've ever been more thankful to someone in my life."

"I… I never thought of it that way." Ina dries her face with her sleeve. "I guess she did."

"And you know what else?"

"What?" She finally looks up at him.

"This means Hange and I have two daughters. One up in heaven, and one right here."

Ina breaks down in tears again. She sobs on his shoulder for some time. Levi reminds Ina that there is no limit to how long a person can grieve. She can mourn Elena as long as she needs to. And no one will tell her otherwise.

"You'd have loved her, Papa. She taught me so many things. Everything you like about me came from her."

"I'm sure I would have. I'd really like it if you told me more about her one day, Ina."

"Sure." Ina nods and sniffles again.

All this crying. God, she forgot how exhausting it is to cry so much in one day. But she feels better. Feels lighter. Ina had been holding onto her memory of Elena for so long. She didn't know when would be a good time to tell Papa about her, or if there would ever be one.

Ina resumes her forgotten task of pulling Papa's necklace from underneath his shirt. When she finally has the black puzzle piece between her fingers she pulls out her own. It's still so exciting to see the two necklaces come together. She loves how they latch on to each other. As though they're meant to be together. The clicking sound still makes her smile. She feels a little better now.

"Thank you for telling me about Elena."

The little girl just nods. She's glad she finally told Papa about big sister.

"Can I ask you something?"

Just another nod.

"Did you bury her?"

A very slow nod.

It was raining that day. Of course it would rain the day after her big sister dies of dehydration. The drought ended a day too late.

Elena was much bigger than Ina, and carrying her was extremely difficult, but Ina didn't care. She needed to lay big sister to rest.

It took her hours to dig the grave. She used her bare hands to do it. Two of her nails were missing by the time she'd finished. Ina remembers how many times the grave collapsed on itself. How many times she started over. She was soaked to the bone by the time she got big sister in the grave. It hurt her fingers like crazy to climb out. At one point she almost got stuck inside, but she managed. She spelled out Elena's name with small pebbles that she collected. Ina knew the chance of this grave still being here after the storm was unlikely. And she knew that chances of her being able to visit big sister were even less likely. That didn't stop her.

Big sister deserved a proper grave.

Thankfully, the soldiers didn't take her until a few days after she'd buried Elena. But it wasn't long after they took her that she got that awful fever. In hindsight, it makes sense why she got so sick. Their hideout flooded and Ina was forced to sleep out in the open. It rained for 3 days straight. Ina made no efforts to protect herself from the elements. Her grief was too much. She couldn't even find motivation to take care of herself.

The fever was no surprise. Nor was the awful beating she'd received.

Ina was hoping that fever would be it for her. She wanted to be with her big sister again. She wanted to die. When they beat and abandoned her, she really thought that was the end. But as more time passed, she regained her strength.

Ina doesn't know what possessed her to start searching for food after she regained consciousness in that empty town. She's completely unsure why she entered that broken down home. There was a giant hole in the roof. Ina knew better.

But she went in, and was only somewhat surprised when the roof collapsed on her.

Like before, with the fever, Ina thought that was it. Thought it was only a matter of time before she died. But she didn't. Her body simply wouldn't let her go.

She became hysterical after 3 days beneath that rubble. She saw things that made no sense. The dust in the air looked like bubbles. The debris started to smell like bread. At one point, Ina could swear Elena was there. She looked different, but in a good way. She wasn't bony or ashen like she was when she died. She looked healthy and well fed. Her cheeks full and round, her eyes happy and bright. Her long, thick hair was braided down her right shoulder. The white dress Elena wore was simple, but elegant. It looked even brighter against her dark skin. It was probably the most beautiful thing Ina had ever seen.

Whenever Ina tried to speak to Elena, she'd get no response.

Elena sat by Ina's side for hours. She never said anything, no matter how much Ina begged her to. She just smiled and stroked Ina's hair for hours on end. Ina knew Elena couldn't really be there, but this was the one hallucination she was glad for. She wouldn't be alone when she died.

When the sun rose on the 4th day, something felt different. Ina couldn't tell what, but something was definitely off about this day.

Out of nowhere, Elena told Ina to scream for help. Ina was so confused. There were no people around. There weren't even stray animals. This place was deserted. She knew that. Ina didn't understand why Elena waited 3 days to finally talk to her. And when she speaks, she tells Ina to scream? But why? What would be in the point in that?

 _Now Ina! Scream! Yell for help! Do it!_

Ina never disobeyed big sister. She had no idea what came over her, but she started to cry out. Her voice was weak. She'd been trapped so long she didn't even remember what her voice sounded like.

 _Yes, Ina! I'm so proud of you. I love you so much. Keep yelling. Keep going!_

Ina took as much of a deep breath as she could. She felt the rubble digging into her back. It hurt so much. But Ina wasn't going to disappoint big sister. Whether or not Elena was really there was completely irrelevant.

Her voice reached volumes she didn't even think possible that day. Elena smiled at her one last time before disappearing out of Ina's line of sight. She tried to call out to her, make her stop. Ina wanted to stay with Elena forever. But she felt the change in the air. Big sister wasn't coming back.

Everything after that happened so quickly. She remembers so little of the actual rescue. Just that when she was finally free, she felt someone's arms around her. Someone hugging her close and telling her that she was safe. She was going to be alright.

"Ina?"

She's been quiet for some time. When Levi felt her trembling he started to worry. But something about the look in her eyes made him stay quiet for just a moment longer. It wasn't until she turned to wrap her arms tightly around his neck that he wondered if something really was wrong.

"Ina?"

She just hugs him tighter. He can feel her heart racing. Levi isn't sure if something is wrong or if she just doesn't feel like talking. He brings his less injured hand up to her brown hair and gently scratches at her scalp. It's one of the strangest methods to calm her down, but it always works.

" _Baby Mine, don't you cry,_

 _Baby mine, dry your eyes._

 _Rest your head close to my heart_

 _Never to part,_

 _Baby of mine."_

He hears her release a cautious and shaky breath. Whatever's happening, he's getting through to her. That's all that matters to Levi.

" _Little one, when you play_

 _Don't you mind what they say_

 _Let those eyes sparkle and shine_

 _Never a tear, baby of mine."_

"Papa." She whispers. If he weren't so close to Ina, Levi knows he wouldn't have heard her.

"Yes, my love?"

"Thank you for saving me." Her voice is still barely a whisper.

"And thank you for being my Ina. I don't know what drew me to that house. But I'm glad I followed those strange feelings. They led me straight to you. And I've never been happier."

 _Thank you for bringing us together, Elena._

Ina finally pulls away from Papa. She feels a slight chill and wishes she could stay in his arms forever. She knows he'd let her.

Ina brings their necklaces together again. Smiling that adorable smile when they snap together. There are still tears running down her cheeks, despite the very genuine smile in her eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"I feel so much better, Papa."

"That's great, Ina. Honestly, I'm glad you feel better. Thank you for trusting me."

"I'll always trust you." She looks up from the necklaces and into those stormy grey eyes.

"I… I think I want to take you to meet big sister."

Ina hasn't been to see Elena since she buried her almost a year and a half ago. She never forgot where the grave was. Even after everything that happened.

"I'd love to."

He smiles and pulls her into another hug. This moment is the closest he's ever felt to Ina. Their relationship has evolved yet again, and Levi finds himself content with the changes. The more he learns about her strength and compassion and kind nature, the more he falls in love with her.

She really is amazing. He's so goddamn lucky to have her.

They sit in silence for a while. Ina absentmindedly plays with their necklaces, giggling every single time they snap together. Even after all this time she still acts just as excited as she did when he gave her the necklace. Every smile of hers just puts him over the moon.

"By the way, here you go." Levi pulls an individually wrapped chocolate truffle out of his pocket, thankful it didn't melt.

"You told me mama had them!" Ina grabs the chocolate from his hand. "What the hell, Papa!"

"She has the rest of them. I didn't just buy one chocolate from the store." He laughs. "It got you up here didn't it?"

"I mean…. I guess." Ina shrugs then peels the wax paper off her treat. It's so good. Oh god it's delicious.

"Besides, you don't want to spoil your meal. We're taking you and Jonathan out to eat remember?"

"I completely forgot! They're probably driving him crazy!"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"They scare the shit out of him! And stupid Eren almost tore his arm off!"

"Don't you remember how scared of us you used to be? You couldn't even look me in the eye."

"But I was always like that. I've never seen Jonathan so… twitchy before."

"He'll get used to us eventually. You did."

"I did." Ina mumbles, mostly to herself. "And I remember when I used to hide like he did today."

"That was completely our fault." Levi sighs.

"He didn't even remember any of it though. That's strange…" mama explained it, but it made little sense to her.

"He lost time. It happens when the mind is overwhelmed. Sometimes we have no control over it. In his case, I think he felt like he was in danger. I don't blame him for reacting how he did."

"I mean… you and mama are pretty scary when you're angry."

"We shouldn't have acted that way in front of you kids. It was really poor judgment. But we're not making that mistake twice."

"It's alright, Papa. I was able to stop you both. Though I didn't like it when you showed the headmaster my belly…"

"I'm sorry. That was a complete invasion of your personal space. But that stupid bastard needed to see it to believe it. I'm not making a habit of this, Ina, you have my word."

"Thank you, Papa." Sometimes Ina is astonished by how much papa respects her. She's still baffled sometimes when she looks at how she used to be treated in the past.

"Do you think… Jonathan was hurt by somebody? And that's why he had that… what did mama call it? Dis… disso… that episode?"

"I do. But I think he's in the recovery stage. I don't think it's still happening."

"I want to keep him safe, Papa. I want him to be happy."

"That's very noble, Ina. He's lucky to have you."

"I just… he's my best friend. I care about him."

"Funny, he said the same thing. You two have a common interest."

Ina just smiles.

"He's actually a lot like you when we first found you. The little bastard is so cute I want to slap him."

Levi wishes he could say that was just to make Ina laugh, but it's not. He really does find Jonathan adorable. And it's driving him insane. Ina is one thing, sure that's his daughter. All parents find their kids cute. But Jonathan is some random kid. Well, maybe not that random. He's Ina's best friend. And Levi is the one that instigated all the marriage jokes. Jonathan isn't just some kid. Not after what he did for Ina. Still. He wants it to _stop_.

"You wanted to slap me?" Ina giggles.

"All the time. Sometimes I still want to slap you. You little shits have no business being so goddamn cute."

"Well… I mean- I guess we can't help it?" Ina shrugs.

"No I don't think you can and that makes it worse. With him it just reminds me of you once upon a time. He looked scared but he was still strong, just like you."

"He's actually really brave. You should have seen him at the fight he got suspended for. He knocked that other boy out cold."

"Well call me impressed. Kids got guts."

"He… he's such a good friend."

"I'm grateful you have him, Ina. You deserve good friends."

Well, how bout that. Jonathan said the same thing to her.

"I… I just… I still feel guilty that he got in trouble because of me. None of this is his fault."

"Ina, Jonathan is the one who made the choice to get involved. I'm not saying his suspension was fair. But his actions were his own. Remember what I used to tell you? Don't take responsibility for what someone else did even if it's someone you care about."

"I know. I just feel like-"

"Ina, if he didn't send that letter, and I found out what was going on after someone landed you in the hospital I swear I'd have gone to prison for the rest of my life. I would have killed every single one of those fuckers that put their hands on you and you know I'm not joking."

"Papa, then you'd leave me. I'd never see you again."

"Well it's a good thing you have such a great friend."

"He is… he really is." A ghost of a smile crosses her features.

"He'll make a good son-in-law." Levi nods.

"What's a son-in-law?"

"You'll see in about 10 maybe 15 years." He smiles.

"Why can't you just tell me now!"

"Because it's more fun this way."

Ina scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Does this have something to do with that blessing? Why were you guys laughing at us?"

"We weren't laughing _at_ you, just… it was a little fun at your expense."

"What- papa that's laughing at us."

"Okay maybe. But we love you, so it's okay."

"You guys are gonna drive us crazy aren't you?"

"I have _never_ had this much fun before Ina you can't take that away from me."

Levi is not even lying. His life has been nothing but bleak. He doesn't consider war and destruction fun. He's never _enjoyed_ anything before.

The birthday party those brats threw for him and Ina was the most fun he's ever had. As a matter of fact, ever since Ina walked into his life he's smiled on the regular. Before her, he could have counted on one hand how often he smiled a genuine happy smile. Now, whenever he sees that cute ass cupcake his chest flutters and he can't even fight it when the corners of his lips turn upward in a smile.

She's the best thing that ever happened to him for a million and one different reasons.

"Me and Jonathan are never going to escape you guys." She groans.

"Well when you're all grown up and married, sure we'll leave you alone."

" _What?!_ "

"Come on, let's go meet the others. We'll need some suggestions from you two."

"Married?!"

"Let's get going I'm serious. Hange won't let me hear the end of it if we keep them waiting."

"You can't just say that and then walk away! Married?!"

"Ina relax. It's more fun at your expense is all. You guys are kids. We're just playing around."

"That isn't funny!"

"Why so defensive though? Anyone with eyes can see how much Jonathan cares about you. And we all know how happy he makes you."

"But-"

" _Relax_. I'm just messing with you. Now seriously let's go."

Ina scoots off of his lap and balances on the trunk to give Levi room to start climbing down. She has no idea how he'll get down, but he made it up here somehow. So she'll leave him to his own devices.

Ina gets her answer soon enough. She isn't sure what he was attempting to do, only that when he slides down the trunk he makes to grab at a smaller branch below where they were sitting. Levi must have underestimated either his weight or the strength of the branch, because it snaps like a twig. Before either of them know it he's practically doing a full flip in the air before falling to the ground face first.

Karma is so sweet.

He can hear Ina laughing. Like full on hearty, belly laughing.

"That's what you get for making fun of us!" Ina teases as she carefully makes her way down. Sure to avoid the branch that sent Papa tumbling to the ground.

Levi groans and turns over on his back before sitting up. Well now his hand hurts like a bitch. Great. And even better, his daughter is laughing her ass off. In retrospect, maybe he deserves it. But damn is she getting in a good giggle.

"He is beauty, he is grace, he fell flat on his face!" Ina can't stop laughing.

"I think I'm gonna pee!" Once Ina is on the ground she falls over from laughing so hard and rolls around in the grass. Trying but unable to stop.

"Now you're just being obnoxious." Levi scoffs.

" _HA_! Look I'm crying. It won't stop." Ina sits up and fans herself. She's broken a sweat.

"Alright you've had your fun, let's go dammit."

Levi picks himself up off the ground and brushes off the dirt and grass. Ina is _still_ laughing.

"Fucking brat." the irritated captain just rolls his eyes.

"But- I'm-" she can't stop long enough to form a complete sentence. "I'm your… this is too much!"

It takes Ina another 5 minutes to finally stop laughing. She's out of breath and her stomach is sore.

"I haven't laughed that hard in like a year." Ina breathes as she picks herself off the ground.

"I really needed that. Thanks, Papa."

"I can't stand you." Levi just rolls his eyes again.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Thank you all for reading. I know this was a bit heavy but hopefully the lightehearted fun at the end made you folks feel a little less depressed. I'll see you guys gals and nonbinary pals next time!


	7. Chapter 7

I literally have zero excuses for my disappearance. This fic was completed when I started publishing it. Why I was still unable to remain consistent with my updates is beyond me. I apologize. But here we are with the final chapter of this little ficlet. Thanks for reading, more notes at the end.

* * *

Sasha starts the barrage of questions as they make their way back to the park where Levi and Ina should be waiting for them.

"So, what are your intentions with our beautiful little peanut?"

Jonathan is already confused. "Um, intentions?"

Jean snorts and clarifies. "She means how close are you guys?"

"Oh, well…. I guess… I don't know. She's my best friend. So I guess that means we're pretty close."

"Good, good." Armin almost sounds like he's taking notes. "Jonathan, I'm afraid we do have to warn you."

"About what?"

Krista doesn't miss a beat. She turns to face Jonathan directly, walking backwards- not even caring to see if she's about to run into anything.

"If you ever do anything to hurt our munchkin, there won't be a hole deep enough for you to hide in."

She smiles a beautifully threatening smile.

"Cross her, and you have- 3,4, Erwin, Dok… probably close to a dozen people that would die for her." Connie counts on his fingers.

Jean concludes the not so thinly veiled threat. "And we've been to jail. We don't have a problem going back. So don't try it, lover-boy. Just don't."

"Are… are you guys trying to scare me or are you always like this?" Jonathan can't hide the tremble in his voice, but has grown bold enough to ask.

Hange places a hand on his uninjured shoulder. "A little bit of both, but mostly just trying to scare you. I know you wouldn't try to hurt my baby doll." She laughs.

"Besides, you got a small taste of what just one of us is capable of. And that was mild."

"Ye- yeah… I did." He grimaces and shakes Hange's hand off.

They're nice. They're good. It's Ina's family. They only say these things because they love her. Not because they want to hurt you.

Eren of all people is the first to notice the sheer discomfort in Jonathan's expression. "I think that's enough." They don't want a repeat of what happened earlier. From what he heard, it was worse than what used to happen to Ina. That's a frightening thought.

"Look kid I really am sorry about your shoulder. I'll make it up to you, Alright?"

"That's really not necessary. I said no hard feelings right? I meant it."

"Well, I'm pretty sure Levi meant it when he said that Eren couldn't leave your side until you lost the sling." Hange comments. "And so do I. He's not going back to base until you're better."

"Crap…" Jonathan mumbles.

"What was that?"

"Nothing ma'am."

"I told you, it's Hange."

"Sorry, just… a force of habit. I'll stop."

"And in exchange we'll stop threatening you."

"Um… I appreciate that."

That response causes everyone to exchange looks over Jonathan's head.

"Hey, kid. Are you okay? You know we were just teasing you, right? Ina's never had a friend her age before so we're just trying to show off." Jean and the others slow the pace just slightly.

Hearing that makes a little sense actually. If he really is Ina's first friend, then this is new territory for everyone. That being said, why they would try to scare the pants off Ina's first friend is a mystery to him. Jonathan figures he'll get over this discomfort eventually. These people are the ones who risked their lives for Ina. They're the reason she's here. They know how much he cares about her. But after being hurt her whole life, he can understand why they're so protective.

"Still with us, kiddo?"

"I'm fine. Yeah I know."

"Jonathan, hold on a second. You guys go ahead." Hange sends the others off.

Jonathan keeps his head down. He leans on the brick building they'd been walking beside and takes a deep breath. Wow, Ina's family is… a lot. And he's mentally exhausted. He's been on edge all day and it's just getting harder and harder for him to keep it together. Jonathan already broke down in front of Ina's dad. He doesn't want to repeat that mess again with her mom.

He completely forgot about those few minutes he lost. When he ended up under the table. Jonathan can't remember what happened, but saw how worried everyone looked. So in reality, he's probably had two or three meltdowns today. What a great first impression.

Hange kneels so he's looking slightly down at her instead of up. She knows that leveling helps when Ina is uncomfortable. She's hoping it'll work here too.

"Levi told me about your father."

Jonathan doesn't respond. Just keeps his eyes on his shoes. He wants nothing more than to go back home and lie down in his mother's bed. It's safe there.

"Jonathan, did he ever threaten you like that? And then keep his word? Has he hurt you?"

Just a nod. He doesn't want to talk about this, but won't run the risk of being disrespectful.

"Would you feel better if we toned it down? I know that meeting all of us in these circumstances is probably… a bit much. I can tell you're overwhelmed."

Hange knows that glassy eyed look anywhere. There's a degree of trauma that no one accounted for. Plus that dissociation episode with him under the table is still giving her chills.

"I'm fine, ma'am- shoot. Sorry."

"Jonathan, look at me."

It takes almost 30 seconds for his eyes to meet hers.

"Levi was right. Ina's family is your family. We'd never do anything to hurt you."

"That's… that's okay. I'm alright. Honest. It's not like… it's nothing compared to what Ina went through anyway."

"Listen up, big guy. One person's pain doesn't outweigh another's. Ina may have gone through something truly terrible, but that doesn't make what happened to you and your mother any less real."

"Yes it does! I've never been homeless. I've always had clothes and food. I.. I could never understand even half of the stuff that happened to her."

Hange doesn't say anything at first. Just looks at him with sad honey brown eyes.

"Jonathan, that's just not fair. That's like saying you don't matter. But believe it or not, you mean the world to Ina. I think she'd be a little hurt if she realized how hard you are on yourself. You matter, Jonathan."

"No… " Jonathan fights every instinct of his that tells him to just drop his head again.

"I'll say it again and again until you start to believe it. You'll learn that I'm very persistent. You matter."

Her thumb brushes over his cheek with a feather light touch. So gentle and soothing he didn't even think it possible to feel something like that. He unconsciously leans into her. Wanting to feel protected again after being so afraid for so long.

"You matter."

"Thank you." He manages to choke out the words.

"Don't say thank you. You deserve this." She pulls him into a hug and rubs small circles on his back. They stay that way for a while. For as long as Jonathan needs. She doesn't pull away until he does, and lets him wipe his own tears this time.

"By the way, The scouts weren't exaggerating, you really are Ina's first friend ever. I know we took the jokes too far, and I'm really sorry about that, but do you think you can give us knuckleheads a chance?"

The boy sighs, but nods. He understands their viewpoint. But still has to take a little time to get used to them.

"I'll just say this and we can join the others, so long as we're around, no one can touch you. And so long as you're around us, no one will threaten you. Does that sound fair?"

"Yes, Hange."

"Hey, look at you! Catching on, I see." Hange exclaims. Jonathan _finally_ cracks a smile, which puts Hange's unease to rest.

"And Jonathan?" Hange says as they start walking again. "We're sorry. We never want you to feel unsafe with us. You have my word as a squad leader that it will never happen again."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Jonathan! How's your shoulder? Did they bother you at all? I can straighten them out if they did, I'm not scared of these guys." Ina immediately reconnects with her best friend. Wrapping her arms around him before he can even think.

"Whoa slow down," Jonathan laughs. "I'm fine. My shoulder is alright. My mom gave me pain medicine before we left the house."

"She's not coming?"

Jonathan shakes his head. "She said not today, but maybe next time. Right now she still works nights, so she wanted to rest."

How he wishes his mom could be with him. It might have made meeting Ina's family easier, or at least less overwhelming. But maybe it's better this way. He has no idea how his mother would react to their tomfoolery. That being said, she probably loves them. They were perfect well mannered soldiers when in her presence. Jonathan's mom was charmed by that act in seconds.

"Well I'm here. And I won't leave your side. I know this is all a lot to take in. I used to be terrified of all of them. I wouldn't let anyone except Mama come near me."

"Really?"

Ina nods. "It was hard getting used to all of it. I thought that since they were soldiers, they'd be like… like the monsters. But they weren't. They became my family."

"Ina, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you." And he means that with every fiber of his being. She deserves to be loved. Deserves everything.

"I hope they can become your family too, like Papa said."

"I think it'll happen eventually. You and your parents are right, this is a whole lot to take in at one time and I'm just… just getting by, I guess?"

"That's alright. It takes time. For me, it took a _really_ long time. But I hope that soon you'll be able to rely on them like I do. "

Ina takes his hand and they start walking. They forget about the entourage behind them and immerse themselves in conversation. The two kids are nothing but smiles the whole time. They both seem to enjoy being in the others presence so much.

The adults and teenagers walk about ten feet behind them, not saying anything loud enough to catch either child's ear.

Hange takes Levi's hand.

"Looks like our girl is in good hands up here after all." She hugs him close for a short moment.

"I think so, too." Levi squeezes Hange's hand.

 _Fini_

* * *

And there we have it. Another sequel to 'A Sense of Belonging' down. like, 2 more to go. I mentioned this earlier but the next fic is going to focus on Ina's 9th Birthday. It's super cute, no real angst, well some. You repeat offenders know me by now. But yeah it's only a few chapters long. After that, or maybe during, who knows- I'm going to post another fic specifically for all Sense of Belonging related one-shots. And I have a ton of those planned. So if you're interested, stay tuned! Again thanks so much for reading and thank you even more for being patient with me. I hope everyone enjoyed this. I enjoyed writing it. Until next time, toodle-loo!


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